Seam-guide for sewing-machines.



G. E. MOLYNEUX 62 G. S. GATGHELL.

SEAM GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1912.

WITIV ES: g Zll/VVENTORS M M LMW. Z 5 Zak 6L- ATTORNEY IE Norm. I'LIERS(20., PHOTO LITHO. .VASHINGI'ON D c 'p'rr GEQRGE E. MOLYNEUX, OFBAYONNE, AND GEORGE S. GATCI-IELL, OF ROSELLE PARK,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE SINGER. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A COR-PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEAM-GUIDE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

menace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 12, 1915.

Application filed July 20, 1912. Serial No. 710,616.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE E. MoLY- maux andGnoncn SJGA'roHnLL, citizens of the United States, residing,respectively, at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, and Roselle Park, in the county of Union and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seam-Guidesfor' Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is designed more particularly for use in connection withseam-covering machines comprising a plurality of spaced reciprocatingneedles arranged in a line transverse to the direction of feed andadapted, in conjunction with suitable l0optaking means, to produce acovering seam embracing the cut edges of two sections of knit goodshaving their overlapped adjacent marginal portions secured together byoverlook or other through-and-through stitches and opened out to receivethe covering seam.

The invention has for its object to provide a seam covering machine ofthis character with means for so handling the work that it may bedelivered therefrom with the upper face entirely or approximately flatand free from the ridge which has usually been formed in the operationby reason of the distribution. of the increased thickness of fabric atthe seam partially upon the upper face and partially upon the lowerface. By maintaining the upper face of the fabric perfectly fiat, ornearly so, throughout the seam-covering operation, the production of anobjectionable ridge is avoided.

The invention has for its further ob ect to accurately guide the initialuniting seam midway between the needles of the coveringseamstitch-forming mechanism in order that the covering seam may be laidcentrally of the uniting seam.

It has for a further object to adapt the device for effectively handlingmaterials of different thicknesses.

In its preferred embodiment, the present improvement comprises a throatplate formed, with spaced needle-apertures and intermediate rearwardlyextending stitchreceiving tongue having in its upper or work-supportingface a longitudinal. seamfoot.

with its operative or work-pressing portion flared upwardly andoutwardly from said guide-fin. In order to properly deliver the seam tobe covered to the stitch-forming mechanism, the lower edge of theguide-fin is preferably inclined rearwardly and upwardly to a pointsubstantially between the needle-apertures, and the heel portion of thefoot is formed with a clearance groove extending backwardly from theneedle-apertures of said foot, so as to prevent the distortion of thecovered seam as it is delivered from the stitch-forming mechanism underthe action of the feeding mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front end view of thetubular work-support of the type represented in the United States Patentto G. E. Molyneux, No. 1,000,836, of August 15, 1911, with the end capomitted, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe same with the needle-bar and presser-foot omitted. Fig. 4: is abottom plan of the throat-plate detached. elevation of the throat-plateand presser- The tubular longitudinally extending horn or work-support lis provided with theiarched throat plate 2 secured upon a de- Fig. 5 isa longitudinal sectional Fig. 6 is an end view, in section.

pressed seat in the upper side of the same by means of screws 3, and.has a flat operative portion & extending beyond the extremity of the armto sustain the work in the stitching operation. As represented in thedrawings, the throat-plate is provided with the usual feed-dog apertures5 and with the spaced needle-apertures 6 from the outer sides of whichextend backwardly thread-clearance slits 7 into the central feed-dogaperture so as to form the stitchreceiving tongue 8 extending backwardlyfrom the needle-apertures. Extending from the forward end of thethroat-plate partway to the needle-apertures is the central seam-guidingslot 9 in register with which is the seam-guiding groove 10 formed inthe upper face of the throat-plate and extending from a pointin advanceof the needleapertures intermediate the latter to a point near therearward 'end of the tongue 8. As represented in Fig. 5, the groove 10is at its forward end of nearly the depth of the throat-plate, and itsbottom is extended upwardly to the rearward end beyond theneedle-apertures where it merges in the fiat upper face of the tongue.

Arranged within the seam-guiding slot 9 are the spaced and substantiallyparallel guide-plates 11 whose adjacent faces afford the effective sidewalls of the slot. The upper edgesof the. plates 11 are shown flush withthe flat top of the throat-plate, and adjacent their lower edges theyare provided each with a shank 12 formed with an elongated aperture 13and secured upon suitable seats 14: formed in the bottom of thethroatplate (as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 7) by means of thefastening screw 15. By loosening the screws 15, the guide-plates 11 maybe shifted laterally toward and from each other to vary the width andadjust the lateral position of the guide-channel which initiallyreceives the lap-seam to be covered.

To the outer end of the work-support is fitted the usual end cap 16which is cut out in the upper side to receive the contracted forwardportion of the throat-plate, and provided in the top of its forwardextremity in advance of the throat-plate with the seamguiding notch 17in register with the slot 9 of the throat-plate. The notch 17 slot 9 andgroove 10 together form a continuous channel for directing theoverlapping margins of the fabric with their uniting seam from a pointin advance of the needles to a point rearward of the needles. e

As herein represented, the machine is provided with a reciprocatingneedle-bar 18 carrying the twin-needle clamp 19 in which are secured bymeans of the fastening screws 20 the shanks of two eye-pointed needles21. Cooperating with these needles is the threadcarrying looper 22 whoseshank 23 is mounted upon thev rocking carrier 24: em-

therein upon the alined fulcrum-screws 30 carried thereby. The block 29is embraced between the transverse lugs 31 of the pressure plate 32 andis pivotally connected therewith by means of the longitudinal pin 33.The pins 30 and 33 constitute transverse fulcra forming with the tiltingblock 29 a universal joint connection between the footplate and theshank 27, so as to enable the foot-plate to tilt both sidewise andendwise in accommodating itself to the work. The foot-plate is providedintermediate its ends with needle-holes 34, and its upturned forwardortoe portion is formed with the depending and forwardly extendingguide-fin 35 entering the seam-guiding space between the plates 11 andhaving a lower edge inclined backwardly and upwardly to a pointsubstantially intermediate the needle-apertures and slightly above theforward end of the seam-guiding groove 10 of the throatplate. Theforward portion of the footplate is flared upwardly and outwardly fromthe guide-fin, somewhat like the prow of a boat, sov as to smooth outthe material at the adjacent sides of the latter as it passes beneaththe presser foot. Extending rearwardly from a point in the bottom of thefoot-plate substantially intermediate the needle-holes 34: is alongitudinal clearance groove 36 adapted to receive the portion of thefabric thickened by the seam as it emerges from the guiding groove 10.

The machine is provided with suitable feeding mechanism comprising thefeed-dog 3/ which is provided in the machine represented in the drawingswith means for imparting thereto work-advancing movements longitudinallyof the work-support 1 and the usual rising and falling movements.

In the use of the improvement as thus described, the material m isapplied to the work-support with the overlapping margins m, securedtogether by the uniting seam 8, passed through the guiding notch 17 ofthe end cover and between the spaced guideplates 11 (Fig. 7) with theguide-fin 35 of the presser-foot inserted in the crease above theuniting seam. The machine being set in motion, the work is advancedbeneath the presser-foot and thebody fabric adjacent the uniting seam isironed out by the flared toe portion of the presser-foot and distendedto bring the marginal portions m within the mouth of the throat-plategroove through which it is guided not only to but beyond the needles soas to positively insure the presentation of the initial seam midwaybetween the latterand thereby cause the'covering seam to be laid withprecision centrally of the initial uniting seam.

In the production of a chain-stitch covering-seam each stitch iscommonly set at the completion of the thrust of the needles for thesucceeding stitch, and afterthe action of the feed to advance thework.In order that the upper face of the work may remain flat and free fromdistortion by this stitch-setting action, the guiding groove 10 ispreferably extended rearwardly in the tongue 8 a distance equivalent tothe longest stitchlength, so that the margins m of the fabric m willremain housed in such'groove, as represented in Fig. 6, until thestitchis entirely completed, after which the emergence of the margins of thecovered seam from the rearward extremity of the groove 10 upon the flatupper face of the throat-plate and the forcing of the upper face of thefabric into the clearance groove 36 of the presserfoot will not causeany appreciable change in the condition of the seam.

It will be observed that the two spaced rectilinearly reciprocatingneedles and the single looper cooperating therewith and adapted to lay alower covering thread connecting the needle-thread loops thrust throughthe fabric by the needles constitutes a species of overseamingstitch-forming mechanism, and it is evident that the present improvementis equally adapted for employment with other types of overseamingmechanism designed to lay a covering threador threads upon one or bothfaces of the fabric, as, for instance, in machines employ.- ing alaterally jogging needle, of a plurality of needles with one or morecooperating loop-takers and a vibratory thread-carrier for laying athread between the needles transversely of the direction of seam. In anycase the tongue 8 between the-spaced needle apertures would be shaped ina manner well known to shed the stitches if formed over the same, as byemployment of a laterally jogging needle.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim hereinis 1. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseamingstitch-forming mechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplateprovided with spaced needle-apertures and an intermediate tongueextending therefrom in the direction of feed and having in its upperface a seam-guiding groove.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitchformingmecha- 5 nism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided withspaced needle-apertures and an intermediate tongue extending therefromin the direction of feed and having in its upper face a seam-guidinggroove terminating a distance greater than a stitchlength rearward ofsaid needle-apertures,

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitchformingmechanism," and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spacedneedle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof andhaving also extending between and rearward of" said needle-apertures atongue containing in its upperface a seamguiding groove forming acontinuation of said slot and extending between and rearward of saidneedle-apertures.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitchformingmechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spacedneedle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof andhaving also extending between and rearward of said needle-apertures atongue containing in its upper face a seamguiding groove forming acontinuation of said slot and extending between and rear ward of saidneedle-apertures, and a presserfoot formed in its toe-portion with adepending guide-fin entering said slot and extending to a point abovesaid seam-guiding groove.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-formingmechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spacedneedle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof andhaving also extending between and rearward of said needle-apertures atongue containing in its upper face a seamguiding groove forming acontinuation of said slot and extending between and rearward of saidneedleapertures, and c a presser-foot formed in its toe-portion with adepending guide-fin entering said slot and terminating above saidseam-guiding groove and formed in its under side with a longitudinalclearance groove extending rearward of said groove of the throat-plate.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-formingmechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spacedneedle-apertures and formed in advance thereof with a seamguiding slotbelow its face whose walls are relatively adjustable to vary theeffective width of said slot.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch formingmechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatplate provided with spacedneedle-apertures and formed in advance thereof with a seamguiding slot,spaced parallel guide-plates disposed within and affording separatefacings for said slot and formed with shanks resting upon seats thereforformed in the bottom of the throat-plate, and means for adjustablysecuring said shanks in position.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination with overseaming stitch-formingmechanism, and feeding mechanism, of a throatguiding grooveextendingbetween and rearward of said needle-apertures.

10. A sewing machine throat-plate constructed with spacedneedle-apertures and with a seam-guiding slot in advance thereof withreciprocally adjustable side-walls and having a tongue extendingrearwardly from said needle-apertures and formed in its up per face witha seam-guiding groove con tinuous with said slot.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. MOLYNEUX. GEORGE S. GATCHELL.

\Vitnesses HENRY J. MILLER, HENRY A. KORNEMANN, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C."

